Daring Deeds - real stories, expeditions, road trips and adventure
Climbing in the Ariege
By Luke Tilley | 12, Oct, 2011

You must excuse my lack of updates, I know you have heard this many times from many people and I don’t deserve any sympathy but I have just been so busy! Hear me out, enjoy and judge for yourself.
I left you hanging in Ceuse, south of France. The climbing had been to the top, the level pushed and the lifestyle simplified - to perfection. But my body could only take so much of this extremely physical lifestyle and as my time to leave arrived my aching limbs embraced change.
With a complimentary t-shirt rewarding the successful completion of 3 weeks at Camp Guerins in my pack I headed South East to the Ariege. Spending the next two weeks with the family was amazing, a proper bed and real mother meals rehabilitated me but my arms never quite got fresh again even with 2 full days off. Frustratingly I was on the back end of peak performance right on time after 3 weeks of peak. It was still a great climbing trip and I climbed on some wicked routes. Highlights were climbing Octopus my only 8a out there in an unlikely looking cave that yielded some awesome lines, I was schooled in the 3rd dimension with several full rotations of climbing direction required on some of the easier routes. A stunning 7c+ soaring 40m out of the massive cave of Genat from 15m up a 6a slab the climbing turned into the most exciting, exposed and heart racing climbing you can get on a sport route. This was all good fun but it was hard coming to terms with a drop in standard where I had to get the bail carabiners out for two 8as.
So I took it easy and rested, explored new areas and started putting together a tick list for the next trip to the area, I can’t wait to return in good condition and dispatch as many of the stunning lines as possible. I hope to go out there with a small group of strong routers who have never put up a line of their own, and learn to develop and perfect route bolting and to try and develop a new area, get some funny footage and gain a wealth of experience from local climbers and residents. My second year at Chez Arran with John and Anne was as pleasurable as the first and I would, and do recommend, their apartments in this amazing area to anyone wanting to find a quiet top class area with an abundance of 5* climbing, check out the Chez Arran website for more!
From family fun in the sun and desperately trying to maintain good route form, a brief interlude at home I headed out for Austria. Two International events and a taster of granite will follow in my next late update!
In pictures
No Comments
Share your thoughts about this article.
Featured Products
Daring Deeds
News
Develop
Spotlight
Be the first to hear about our newest products and promotions
Join AlpCol's Espresso newsletter for that hit of Go Nice Places, Do Good Things Greatness
CLOSE